The present invention relates to the new and distinct plant cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis named ‘Encore’, hereinafter also referred to as ‘Encore’ and the “new plant” which represents a new and distinct cultivar of ornamental maiden grass for landscape and cut foliage and flower use. The seed was the result of open pollination between Miscanthus sinensis ‘Huron Sunrise’ (not patented) as the female or seed parent and the male or pollen parent is unknown but may have been any one of a number of cultivar or seedling selections in the breeding area. Seed was collected by the inventors on Jan. 11, 2010 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. During initial evaluation in the summer of 2011 and afterward the individual seedling was assigned the breeder code of HK10-06-02. Final evaluation of the new plant was performed at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. during the summer and fall of 2013.
The new plant has been successfully asexually propagated by division and sterile shoot plant tissue culture at the same perennial plant nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and found to produce stable and identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant. The plant is stable and reproduces true-to-type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
No plants of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Encore’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of this application with the except of that which was disclosed within one-year period of the filing of this application and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.
Miscanthus ‘Encore’ differs from its parents as well as all other Miscanthus known to the applicant. The new plant differs from the seed parent Miscanthus ‘Huron Sunrise’ primarily in the new plant having taller habit and extended flowering period beginning to flower earlier and repeating with a second set of flowers. The seed heads of ‘Encore’ are also lighter creamy tan compared to the medium tan of ‘Huron Sunrise’.
Compared to ‘Autumn Anthem’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,411 the new plant is taller and produces flowers at staggering periods. Compared to ‘Gracillimus’ (not patented), the new plant has broader foliage and flowers at staggering times. Compared to ‘Morning Light’ (not patented) the new plant has narrower foliage and flowers both earlier in the season and later, too. All of the above listed comparison cultivars also flower in one distinct season unlike ‘Encore’ that repeat flowers with more than one distinctive season.